First Wii points purchase!

Short report here as I just purchased my first Wii points card. So I'm checking out the VC store and I"m narrowing it down to these games:

-Kirby's Adventure

-Startropics 2

-Final Fight 3

-Super Mario Bros. 2 (jap)

-Kid Icarus

Hmm...I only have 2000 points to spend too. So maybe Startropics 2 and Kid Icarus for 500 points each and Final Fight 3 for 800. With 200 left over. Some good times ahead!

The Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis)

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ***
Sound: ****
Graphics: ***1/2
Rating: 14 stars out of 20

On the Wii Virtual Console: YES

[REPORT]
Started the game playing on Normal Mode.

STAGE 1- First stage in the village went well. Did a perfect run and kicked the boss' butt.

STAGE 2- Lost 4 lives and 1 continue! Waterfall area kicked my butt this time. The ninja's really blend into the background nicely. What wasn't so nice is that they kept firing their stupid shurikens at me (causing me to fall off into the pit below). The boss in the disco club was easy to beat. Just knelt down and fired my shurikens at him until he bit the dust.

STAGE 3- Lost 1 life. The military compound. This stage is easily handled by using one of your ninjitsu's (the one with the force field) around the middle of the stage. At the end you get that ninjitsu back via a power-up. Brain boss in the spherical shell gave me little problems.

STAGE 4- Lost 2 lives and my second continue! Damn you pit right at the beginning of the factory! Took care of the Terminator boss in two tries (really easy pattern, hit the head, avoid object and jump his dash attack).

STAGE 5- Lost 6 lives and my last continue! What a pain getting through the building with all the security lasers. Figured out way too late that instead of carefully going through the level, you can just jump and rush to finish it. Joe met his end on the second area (the freeway) as a guard blew him up via grenade.


The classic box art we all know and love!

The Japanese game is titled "The Super Shinobi". Really cool art that's a part of the in game title screen.


The cover of the Mega Drives version of Shinobi. Can you tell the difference?

Streets of Rage (Genesis)

Difficulty: ***1/2
Controls: ***
Sound: ****
Graphics: ***1/2
Rating: 14 stars out of 20

On Wii Virtual Console: YES

Decided to pop in my Sega classics collection today, enjoyed a great game of Streets of Rage. I forgot how great the sound and the graphics were. They still look solid today. Selected Adam and I was off to the races! Made it to stage 3 before I lost my first life and by stage 4 I'd lost my first continue. Not bad for HARD mode!

I bit the dust in stage 6 at the dual boss. For those Streets of Rage veterans, the pair of bosses with the red shirt, spiky blonde hair and razor claws (the name eludes me at the moment). I think I would have done better if I had someone else gaming with me. Anybody else think it was weird using your special attack (the cop car that comes screeching in) and seeing it in the factory and the ferry? Ha, ha, ha...what the hell?!


The Streets of Rage cover we all know and love in North America. Not too shabby looking if I say so myself. But Blaze is wearing white? And that punk is carrying a gun? Those aren't in the game...

A variant cover. Even better than the one we got. Adam kinda' looks twisted though!

This is the Japanese cover of Streets of Rage (called Bare Knuckle) for the Sega Mega-Drive. Notice the grid-less background? So Retro Nation any of you guys have any fond memories of this game? Send me some comments or feedback!

Pro Wrestling (NES)

Difficulty: ***
Controls: ***1/2
Sound: **1/2
Graphics: ***
Rating: 12 stars out of 20

Wii Virtual Console: NO (as of Nov. 2010)

Instead of the usual write-up I do for my reviews I'm doing something else instead. Something more fun. So here's some various art off the webs for your viewing pleasure. And notice the different box art! Cool!


So this is the box are us North Americans recieved. Kinda' blah.

The Eropeans got a MUCH better cover for Pro Wrestling! Notice how Starman cries out "WAAA!"...ha, ha, ha, funny stuff.

The Japanese got a picture of Fighter Hayabusa with the belt. Very nice! Most cover art that we got is really uninspired and boring.

Pro Wrestling flyer! I had to share this as I thought this was a great pic. I love the fact that the wrestlers looked aged in the picture, really great throwback from the past.

Finally, the infamous words most of us grew up with, "A winner is you!" Thanks Nintendo! Any thoughts on todays review? Leave me a comment.

Speed Ball 2 (Genesis)

Difficulty- ***1/2

Controls- ***

Sound- **

Graphics- ***

Overall- 11 1/2 stars out of 20

Due to extreme violence and 'illegal acts' speedball has been forced underground! You control a new expansion team called Brutal Deluxe. Its up to you to lead and manage the team all the way to the top. Do you have what it takes?

When you select any of the available 3 game modes your team pretty much stinks (you are an expansion team...) It doesn't help that the game doesn't match you up against teams of the same skill level as you.

You'll win a few games here and there, but until you buy better players you will be hurting. The lack of an onscreen HUD to know the placement of your teammates is inexcusable. It makes the passing game difficult.

The players are easy to move around and the controls are simple. Each button does basically the same thing. Pass, slide tackle and jump. That's it. Maybe adding a punch button for up close attacks would have spiced things up. Also the fact that you can't switch players in-game is downright crappy! (What were the programmers thinking?)

Music selection is almost paper thin. The opening theme is hard on the ears too. Once you start a game, no music is played whatsoever! Thankfully there is some good sound effects. The announcer yells "replay!" when you score a goal. Also you get a blarring horn that sounds great. Your slide tackles and hits don't sound too convincing though.

If you like the colour gray, this games for you! I know its supposed too be the future but c'mon! Every player is the same colour! And so is the arena (really?) The only way to tell your guys apart is their health meter above their heads. On a side note you get a great replay when you score goals. Couple that with a little victory animation makes things nice.

Overall, if you had the choice between this and Power Ball, I say grab Power Ball. While the game is fun (don't get me wrong) it does have some glaring flaws. The controls are nice and simple, but you think they could have added a switch player button? The music is also non-exist ant but the sound effects are decent. The graphics look nice but its marred by the fact that the players and the arena is in gray! Unless its dirt cheap..buyer beware!